Transmission and swinging drive axles including torque converters



Feb. 23, 1965 o. n KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534 TRANSMISSION AND SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS 19 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 7, 1959 INVENTORS @ZPzZZ/Zgg z a: egg W5 ATWQNEY F 1965 0. K. KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534

TRANSMISSION AND swmcmc DRIVE AXLES mcwnmc TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. 7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOANEY 1965 0. K. KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534

TRANSMISSION AND swmsmc DRIVE AXLES mcmnmc TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. 7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTURIVEV Feb. 23, 1965 0. K. KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534

TRANSMISSION AND SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. '7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TORS Feb. 23, 1965 0, KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534

D SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. 7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 5 TRANSMISSION AN Feb. 23, 1965 O KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534

TRANSMISSION ANiD SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. 7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 6 @QZ a w w IN VENTO Rs (19213.? Z1922? B r %wzzeffiZ/J 64374.6? 851 (my 1965 0. K. KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534

TRANSMISSION AND SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. 7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 7 I N'VEN T ORS ATTOAIVEV 1965 0. K. KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534

TRANSMISSION AND SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. 7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS A TTOE/VEV 4 TRANSMISSION ANb SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. 7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 9 Feb. 23, 1965 o K.' E| ETAL 3,170,534

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TRANSMISSION AND SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS Filed Jan. '7, 1959 19 Sheets-Sheet 11 Feb. 23, 1965 O. TRANSMISSION AND SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING Filed Jan. 7, 1959 K. KELLEY ETAL 3,170,534

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' TRANSMISSION AND SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS l9 Sheets-Sheet 19 Filed Jan. 7, 1959 United States Patent Office 3,17%,534 Patented Feb. 23, i65

3,170,534 TRANSMISSION, AND SWINGING DRIVE AXLES INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS Oliver K. Kelley, Bloomfield Hiils, Kenneth W. Gage, Birmingham, and Richard W. Craig, Flint, Mich, assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 785,390 9 Claims. (Cl. Nil-73) This invention relates to motor vehicle transmissions and more particularly to transmissions combined with vehicle independent drive axles and providing independent drive to each drive wheel.

Most present day motor vehicles utilize a change speed transmssion mounted at the rear of the engine and which drive a propeller shaft extending to a combined rear axle and differential gear unit at the rear of the vehicle. These differential units are necessary to allow for the driving wheels to rotate at different speeds when the vehicle is turning a corner. This differential action becomes a disadvantage when one wheel begins to slip, since all of the torque is then transmitted to the slipping wheel. If antislip mechanism is added to the differential gearing, the differential and, hence, turning characteristics are affected and the differential unit becomes quite complex.

Location of the transmission at the rear of the engine under the front of the passenger compartment necessitates a hump in the vehicle floor and requires a propeller shaft of relatively large size and strength to carry the engine torque multiplied by the maximum gear ratio of the transmission. While some rear mounted transmissions have been proposed that are structurally combined with the differential, these do not eliminate the necessity and disadvantages of the conventional differential. Also, independent drives to each driving wheel have been proposed, however, these usually require the full weight of the transmission and differential unit to be carried on the wheels resulting in a relatively large unsprung weight.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a combined transmission, differential and rear axle unit for a motor vehicle.

It is a further object to provide such a transmission unit that will independently drive each driving wheel.

A still further object is to provide a combined transmission and rear axle that has a minimum of parts and does not add unsprung weight to the wheels.

Another object is to provide an independent drive to each drive wheel with a pair of hydraulic torque transmitting devices and wherein forward and reverse drive are obtained in the hydraulic devices.

Still another object is to provide a multi-phase transmission with a relatively simple and yet effective control system that can be conveniently remotely operated by the vehicle operator.

These and other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following description and drawings which show an illustrated embodiment of the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle chassis incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a semi-exploded perspective view of the combined transmission and rear axle unit showing how the various units are connected;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the invention looking from the left side;

FIG. 5 is a view looking at the rear of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the front unit;

FIG. 6a is another enlarged sectional view of other portions of the front unit and also part of the center unit;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6 showing details of the three scavenge pumps;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing details of ports and oil passages in a support member in the front unit.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a view showing how FIGS. 11, Ma, llb and 11c are arranged to form a single large sectional view of left side, center, and part of the right side units;

FIGS. 11, 11a, 11b, and are sectional views taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional viewshowing portions of the reverse band and reverse servo;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the functional parts of the drive train as seen from the top;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the hydraulic connections between various units;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of part of the transmission control system;

FIG. 15a is a schematic view showing the parts of the control system not shown in FIG. 15

FIG. 16 is a view of the variable vane control valve positioned for low angle;

FIG. 17 is a view of the variable vane control valve positioned for mid angle;

FIG. 18 is a view of the variable vane control valve positioned for high angle;

FIG. 19 is a view of the neutral, forward and reverse valve positioned for forward drive;

FIG. 20 is a view of the neutral, forward and reverse valve positioned for reverse drive;

FIG. 21 is a schematic view of the vane elements in one of the torque converters;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view showing the electrical controls for the transmission;

FIG. 23 is a schematic view illustrating the relationship of the parts during non-parallel deflection of the sprung mass;

FIG. 24 is a partially broken side view of the transmission mounting and suspension; 7

FIG. 25 is a view similar to FIG. 23 illustrating the relationship of the parts under conditions of parallel up,- ward deflection of the sprung mass;

FIG. 26 is another view similar to FIG. 23 showing the relationship of the parts under conditions of parallel downward deflection of the sprung mass.

Briefly the invention includes an assembly forming a pair of independent rear axle units, each axle unit including an independent three element multi-phase torque converter combined with a planetary gear unit plus a final reduction fixed ratio planetary gear unit. The two axle side units are supported on a'cornmon pivot supported by the vehicle frame. Each side unit is driven from a right angle bevel gear set mounted within a center unit that is secured tothe left side unit set. The left unit is directly driven by the bevel gearing and the right side unit is driven through a double universal joint located within the center unit and which allows pivotalmovement of the right unit relative to the bevel gear set and left side unit. The right angle drive bevel gearing is driven by a front unit whose outer housing is secured to the center unit and which includes a balanced inertia two speed planetary gear unit that provides both a direct and a reduction drive of the two side units. The front unit, which is driven by the vehicle propeller shaft, also includes a neutral clutch, a maingear pump and three commonly driven scavenge gear pumps;

The right and left side three element torque converters each have an impeller and a pair of runners, each runner having two functions.

g The first runner functions as a multiplied torque turbine in forward drive While the sec- 

1. IN A MOTOR VEHICLE AN ENGINE MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE, A COMBINATION TRANSMISSION AND DUAL AXLE UNIT MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE, SAID TRANSMISSION AND AXLE UNIT INCLUDING A TWO SPEED INPUT GEAR UNIT CONNECTED TO SAID ENGINE AND A PAIR OF HYDRAULIC TORQUE CONVERTER UNITS ARRANGED TRANSVERSELY TO SAID INPUT GEAR UNIT, MEANS CONNECTING EACH OF SAID CONVERTER UNITS TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID INPUT GEAR UNIT, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID INPUT UNIT AND ONE OF SAID CONVERTER UNITS IN THE VEHICLE FOR COMMON MOVEMENT ABOUT A PREDETERMINED AXIS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE VEHICLE, MEANS PIVOT- 